TOP STORIES
After Pledging Swift Results, Trump Team Prepares for Long Economic War with Iran | Washington Post
“Regardless, the Trump administration thinks time is on its side, according to a senior administration official, who declined to discuss Bessent’s remarks, including the specifics of his timelines for economic pain. ‘You’ve really seen that time dynamic shift,’ the official said . . . While Iran was able to weather previous rounds of economic pressure by dipping into its oil revenue, the U.S. blockade removes that wiggle room and is increasing the effectiveness of sanctions, the official said.”
Trump Says U.S. Won’t Strike Iran Until After the Midterms | Politico
“President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is holding off on further attacks on Iran until after the midterms, while maintaining a blockade as talks with Tehran continue.”
Pentagon Draws Up New Iran Strike Plans as Trump Hesitates | New York Times
“The U.S. military is preparing options to restart major combat operations against Iran, even as President Trump continues to show ambivalence about restarting the war, according to American officials. Three aircraft carriers will soon be in the Middle East, a massive assembly of force, and the Pentagon, on Mr. Trump’s orders, has developed plans to strike Iran’s drone and missile arsenal, energy facilities and other military sites. But Mr. Trump has repeatedly decided not to relaunch heavy combat operations against Iran. And the U.S. military response to Iran has been more muted in recent weeks, despite Iran’s escalating attacks on oil tankers. . . . Even members of Mr. Trump’s inner circle are increasingly skeptical that military action will change Tehran’s calculus or plans. Some of these officials believe that the Trump administration’s campaign of economic pressure is working and just needs more time to force Iran to make meaningful concessions.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview with UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | i24 News
“The U.S. president has run out of patience with diplomacy with the Iranian regime because it has consistently failed for years.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Treasury Sanctions 17 Tankers Linked to Iran’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ in Economic Pressure Campaign | CNBC
“The U.S. Treasury Department is sanctioning 17 additional vessels it says are connected to Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ used to transport oil and gas out of the country, as Washington tries to choke Tehran’s economy to end the war that began over seven months ago.”
Pezeshkian Urges Energy Cuts as Iran Grapples with Economic Pressure | Iran International
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Iranians to reduce energy consumption, saying a 10% cut could eliminate the country’s need for energy imports as Tehran faces mounting economic pressure. . . . Pezeshkian described economic pressure on Iran as harder to confront than military conflict, saying, ‘Military war is visible, but economic war is not visible and is far harder and heavier.’”
MILITARY MATTERS & SHIPPING
Iran and Houthis Try to Regain Upper Hand in Hormuz with Spate of New Attacks | Wall Street Journal
“Just last week, Iran appeared to have its back against the wall in its war with the U.S., its ports blockaded and its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz slipping. Now, Tehran is trying to regain the upper hand. Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen delivered a one-two punch against Persian Gulf oil producers in separate attacks on Wednesday night and Thursday morning that sent oil prices sharply higher and further shattered the sense of security in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. . . . By increasing attacks on shipping, Tehran is seeking to break the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz and increase pressure on Washington to reach a diplomatic settlement, analysts say. The limited military moves could raise oil prices and pressure President Trump before the midterm elections, while stopping short of another full-scale military confrontation that even Tehran doubts it can win.”
“One of the key reasons for the assassination of Iran navy chief Alireza Tangsiri by Israel on March 26 was the concern of top Israeli officials that he could emerge as the next head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, The Jerusalem Post has learned. He would have been a much tougher adversary than Ahmad Vahidi, who eventually became the new IRGC chief. Many top Israeli officials viewed Tangsiri as a highly creative and resourceful commander, whereas Vahidi was largely seen as a deputy to a deputy of top commanders, lacking the power to shape the broader security posture.”
PROPAGANDA
Iranian Campaign Planted Fake Articles in Real U.S. Publications Using ChatGPT | Washington Post
“‘The bill will follow Americans beyond the fighting itself,’ an opinion piece in the Port St. Joe Star, a tiny Florida weekly newspaper, warned of the Iran war last month. The article ran under the byline Ervin Hoskins, which has also appeared on articles critical of the war in larger publications including Daily Kos and Middle East Monitor, which together have more than 3 million followers on Facebook. But ChatGPT maker OpenAI said Thursday that Hoskins’s purported work was generated using its chatbot by users based in Iran as part of an ‘influence campaign.’ The campaign placed about 100 fake articles across at least 20 news outlets, the company said.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Iran Targets Women-Led Businesses as Instagram Pages Face Mass Content Deletions | IranWire
“In recent weeks, a new wave of crackdowns targeting social media pages, account administrators, and commercial businesses, particularly female beauticians, has been reported across various regions of Iran. Account blockages, widespread content deletion, forced publication of pledge statements, summonses or legal action against account administrators, business closures, and restrictions on online business operations are among the measures reported by citizens. . . . A significant portion of these enforcement actions is tied to mandatory hijab regulations, the presence of women wearing optional attire, and vague legal concepts such as ‘norm-breaking,’ ‘acts contrary to public chastity,’ and ‘failure to observe Islamic standards.’”